In mobile communication networks, there is always a challenge to obtain good performance and capacity for a given communications protocol, its parameters and the physical environment in which the mobile communication network is deployed.
Today's mobile communication devices support multiple radio access technologies (RAT) that comprises wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), the long term evolution (LTE) telecommunications standard, the global system for mobile communications (GSM), a digital cross connected system (DCS), time division synchronous code division multiple access (TDSCDMA), and so on. In a multi-RAT (e.g., involving LTE/WCDMA/GSM) scenario, the mobile communication device may use an inter radio access technology (IRAT) cell search and measurement techniques in order to determine which cell to be operatively connected to as well as for making handover decision. In general, it may only be possible to make seamless intersystem handover with proper measurement of cell transmitted radio signals from different RATs by the mobile communication device.
In order to perform IRAT cell search and measurement, the network may create IRAT gaps in the transmitted data pattern to the mobile communication device. Thereby the mobile communication device may perform IRAT specific measurements and in order to synchronize with the cell from a specific RAT. In a so-called triple mode mobile communication device, where LTE, WCDMA and GSM RATs are available, operations such as generating the gaps, performing the measurements, and searching for the required information for synchronization are generally considered to be time crucial. Additionally, the mobile communication device may only have available a short period of time to perform these operations. In turn, the performance of the cell selection, reselection and handover depend on these operations.
Hence, there is a need for improved synchronization in wireless devices.